Summer Love

Chapter 11

***

Lisa sat at her desk, her chin resting in the palm of her hand, staring absently out the window. The office space she rented was a cute, older building that housed only her accountancy firm and a law firm. Two of the attorneys were young, outdoorsy types who rode bikes to work every day.

They had also fixed up the back yard area, making a patio and a sitting area. Two bird feeders and a birdbath were placed next to the trees along the fence. Although they had completed all the work, they had offered to share the sitting area with Lisa and her staff as well. She knew the others used it on occasion, but she had never once set foot out there.

But for some reason since she had returned from her vacation she longed to sit in the shade and watch the birds at the feeder. But so far, she had resisted.

“Are you ready to talk yet?”

Lisa jerked her head around, surprised to find Somi standing by her desk. She hadn’t even heard her come in.

“Talk?”

Somi must have taken that as a ‘yes’ as she plopped herself down in the visitor’s chair.

“You’ve been back over a month now. Or someone who looks like you came back over a month ago.”

Lisa gave her a humourless smile. She knew she had been vague about her trip, only giving brief details.

‘Yes, it was very relaxing.’

‘Yes, I had a great time.’

Not much more than that. She thought that was enough.

“What’s going on with you, Lisa? You hardly talk to anyone. You sit and stare out the window most of the day. I’m assuming you’re taking work home with you since you don’t seem to be backlogged,” Somi said.

Lisa arched an eyebrow. “You do know I am still the boss, right?”

Somi brushed her protest away with a wave of her hand. “We both know I run this office,” she said with a smile. “Now tell me what’s going on with you. I’ve never seen you like this.”

Lisa knew she was right. “Do you know Chou Tzuyu?”

“I know the name. She’s an attorney. I’ve seen her commercials.”

“Yes. And you know how I feel about attorneys,” she paused. “She has invited me to dinner.”

Somi eyes lit up. “Like a date? That’s great. It’s about time you dated again.”

“Yes, I suppose it is,” she agreed.

“So why are you in this mood?” Somi paused. “Please don’t say it has something to do with Miyeon. Not after all this time.”

“No. God, no,” Lisa said with a shake of her head. “It has to do with Roseanne.”

Somi frowned. “Who is Roseanne?”

Lisa had vowed she would never tell anyone about Roseanne, about their romantic fling. Once she was back in her familiar surroundings, she was even more surprised over her actions. It was so unlike her, so out of character for her, that she was doubly embarrassed by the whole thing. That, of course, didn’t stop her from hoping Roseanne would pop back into her life one day.

She knew if Roseanne really wanted to see her, really wanted to contact her, all she had to do was to get her personal information from her sister. As each day passed, and then each week, without contact, she was more convinced than ever that their time together was simply what she had thought all along, a holiday romance, nothing more.